Major Reduction in Acne Scarring - Upstate, NY

I had the first of three Pixel treatments in early...

10 Nov 2013

3 years post

I had the first of three Pixel treatments in early 2010, and the last in late 2012. My face shows a remarkable reduction in scaring caused by a reaction to medication in 1998. The acne scars were typical of a protracted cystic acne breakout and appeared similar to the surface of a cheese pizza. By the time of age 40, the scars only got worse (typical of aging), so I decided to get Pixel resurfacing as suggested by my doctor who also does my Botox. As expected, my face was bright red and on fire for a little over an hour afterward, then red patches formed that turned into brown marks and eventually faded away after two weeks. I was scary-looking for four days and housebound before healing up enough to run errands. It was made clear by my doctor's laser technician that this would be the outcome, and I expected (and paid for, quite frankly) to be roasted and toasted. Some brown spots took much longer to go away and improvement of scarring was only minimal at first. What people must understand about Pixel resurfacing (and other fractional resurfacing) is that total results are *not* immediate! Total results take more than six months to a year. In other words, it is a long term investment.

If you are looking for a procedure for an upcoming event that is any less than four months away, Pixel laser resurfacing is not the procedure of choice. You will look worse before looking better. I read some poor reviews of Pixel that obviously reflect someone's lack of research and reading, or simply not having listened to the technician. My technician went over my full face using several passes of the laser. It was somewhat painful, burned like heck immediately afterward, I looked frightening for days, skin felt tight and like sandpaper, little brown squares from the shape of the laser took a couple of weeks to fade away, and improvements to my skin were too subtle to notice from day to day (more like every three weeks). All of this I understood, expected, and paid lots of money for.

The only issue I had was concerning the second and third time I got Pixel. Those events were not as painful, not as red and scabby, and my skin recovered too quickly. Though the technician went over my face with the same intensity (as was my understanding), by the third procedure, I was actually able to go out to lunch 24 hours later (with floppy hat while sitting in the corner of the restaurant). Something was amiss here. While I noticed improvements to my skin nonetheless, some small scarring still remains, but three Pixel treatments should have taken care of it altogether. I'm left to wonder if it is the technician's fault or the machine and wand were getting old (or a combination of the two), or just maybe it's my skin–who knows–but I have decided to search out another option in town to finish up the remaining scars, Laser Genesis.

Let me be clear that this is a favorable review of Pixel, and I recommend it highly. Personally, I don't believe it is worth the money to ask for any less than full power. Rather, take a vacation and go through the pain (though slight) and inconvenience. I am now 42, have taut skin due to Pixel and slight scaring left. People think I'm thirty years old and I look great.

As long as you know the deal with fractional laser treatments, go for it!